How to poison lice with kerosene, will it help remove parasites?

Lice, like many other parasites, have existed for tens of millions of years. Once upon a time they became the cause of serious epidemics, ending in the death of hundreds and even thousands. Today, lice, or scientifically pediculosis, although it remains very unpleasant and quite contagious, is no longer such a dangerous disease. However, at times it can be quite difficult to get rid of. Often people have to try one remedy after another for a very long time until they finally manage to get rid of the annoying and tenacious parasites.

One of the oldest remedies against lice is kerosene. Surely, many remember how, as a child, they had to sit in the bathroom with an oily slurry spreading on their hair, and cringe from the unpleasant smell, endure the itching and burning of the skin under their hair.

Nowadays, fortunately, there are many alternative anti-lice products that are as effective as kerosene, but have almost no odor and are more gentle on the skin. However, sometimes they do not give the desired effect and you have to return to good old kerosene. What is the secret of its effectiveness? How to use it safely?

Causes of lice

The main reason for lice infection is close contact with other people. These insects cannot fly, but they move quickly in search of a new habitat. For this reason, children who come into close contact with each other during games and activities are at risk.

There is a certain risk of becoming infected with lice on public transport, in crowded places. Infection can occur when using other people's things: hats, combs, hair clips. To avoid infection, you should not lie down on a pillow after other people without changing your pillowcase and bed linen.

Precautionary measures

When using a folk remedy, certain rules must be followed:

1. make sure that the product does not come into contact with the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth;
2. put a bandage on the head along the edges of the hair growth so that the mixture does not spread over the neck and forehead;
3. The treatment should be carried out in a well-ventilated area or outdoors;
4. stay away from fire sources, lighting kerosene flares up at a temperature of 50 degrees;
5. do not use for wounds on the surface of the head;
6. Do not keep the product on the head for more than 2 hours for adults, 1 for children.

There is nothing complicated in the instructions for use, but there is a high probability of unwanted effects.

Does kerosene help in the fight against lice?

Since kerosene is very toxic, it actually kills parasites. But at the same time, it can penetrate into scratches on the scalp and have a negative effect on the human body. Moreover, this method is very dangerous due to the fact that kerosene is highly flammable. In world practice, since 1989, at least nine cases of burns of children during kerosene treatment have been recorded. These tragedies apparently occurred because, contrary to popular belief, it is the kerosene vapor that is flammable, not the liquid itself. Kerosene vapor can ignite due to the presence of even the smallest spark. All it takes is a stray spark from a lighter or electrical appliance.

Considering that nits are very reliably protected by a thick shell, treatment with kerosene is not always effective - most eggs are not destroyed. Nits breathe less intensely than adult parasites, so the poison does not affect them as strongly. This means that the treatment procedure will need to be repeated until the last lice hatches from the nits. This significantly increases the risk of poisoning the body with toxins, especially when it comes to treating lice in children. Being a powerful toxin, kerosene greatly irritates the scalp, so cases of dermatitis are common after such treatment.

How to choose the right product?

A dermatologist recommends how to remove lice, taking into account several factors. This is a type of insect: hair (live on the scalp), pubic (spread in the groin area), body (live on clothes and underwear, periodically biting a person where the skin comes into contact with these objects).

Various products are suitable for children and adults. Drugs containing aggressive chemicals are not prescribed in childhood, pregnancy and lactation. Individual intolerance to substances and allergic reactions are also taken into account.

The simplest and most affordable way to get rid of lice eggs and adult lice is complete hair removal. In this case, you won’t have to buy shampoos or other products or waste time manually removing nits. The only thing that needs to be done is to carefully collect the shaved hair and destroy it, as well as disinfect the room in which the procedure was carried out.

Cooking recipe: how to properly dilute kerosene

If you do not have the slightest opportunity not to use this rather dangerous method of treatment, it will be useful to know how to use kerosene for lice and nits. To reduce the harmful effects on the skin, kerosene is mixed with any vegetable oil in a ratio of 1:10

There is another popular recipe. It is used to remove lice from both adults and children. To achieve an antiparasitic effect, you need to mix all the components correctly. Take one tablespoon of kerosene, add the same amount of shampoo and mix thoroughly. Then add two tablespoons of olive or sunflower oil. The anti-lice composition is ready for use.

How to use in children

It is impossible to remove lice with kerosene from very young children; even a slight excess of concentration can lead to the child suffocating. In this case, it is better to treat your head with safe pharmaceutical products.

Pediculosis in older children can be treated in the same way as in adults, but the exposure time of the product is reduced to 1 hour, since the child’s skin is more susceptible to the effects of aggressive chemicals.

Important! Kerosene can be used to treat head lice in children of any age only in a hopeless situation - when it is not possible to purchase a safe pharmaceutical drug.

How to treat your head and how long to hold it?

Apply the composition to your hair and lather lightly, then cover your head with a plastic bag. How long do you keep the composition on your hair? For an adult – at least an hour; for a child, 15 minutes is enough. After the specified time, the hair must be rinsed with warm water and shampoo. After this, you need to take a fine-tooth comb and comb out the nits from wet hair. The comb can be dipped in vinegar to make it easier to separate the nits from the hair. The treatment procedure must be carried out every three days until the parasites completely disappear.

Side effects

In traditional medicine, the kerosene method of killing lice is not recommended. Even despite its effectiveness proven over decades. All because of side effects.

1. The pungent smell of kerosene lingers for a long time both on the hair and in the room where the treatment was carried out.
2. Exposure to toxic liquid disrupts the hair structure, making it dull and brittle.
3. Homegrown pediculicide may cause allergies. In some cases, even with a successful sensitivity test.
4. Depending on the individual reactions of the body, allergies may occur.
5. Failure to comply with the exposure time provokes severe skin burns.

It is worth mentioning separately that removing lice from children with kerosene is a very risky undertaking. Even if all precautions are taken and the correct ratio of components for the emulsion is taken, the child may develop an allergy, so it is best not to skimp and purchase pediculicidal shampoo at the pharmacy. And you shouldn’t forget about such a 100% effective method as shaving your head.

Shaving, of course, is not the most aesthetic option, but it is certainly safer than kerosene

Precautions when using kerosene for lice

If you decide to use kerosene to remove lice, you should take into account the existing risks. Despite the popularity of kerosene as a traditional medicine, it poses a health hazard. Inhaling its vapors causes dizziness, nausea, and increased excitability. Exposure to the skin causes redness, and in large quantities even a burn.

In order to avoid consequences, you must:

• • use kerosene in combination with vegetable oils or shampoo;
• • protect your eyes when rinsing
• • eliminate the risk of inhaling product vapors;
• • apply the product using cotton swabs;
• • do not use kerosene to remove lice from children;
• • if a strong burning sensation occurs, wash off the product immediately.

Pros and cons of using kerosene in the fight against head lice

Like any other remedy, kerosene has its pros and cons as a fight against head lice.

Important! Kerosene can penetrate the skin, damage hair follicles and cause burns. As a result, peeling of the burned skin and hair loss may occur.

Contraindications to the use of kerosene

Kerosene is not recommended for use if there are various injuries on the skin - wounds, scratches, burns. This will only worsen the condition of the skin. The product is contraindicated for use by children, as well as on excessively dry and sensitive skin.

Another contraindication is the risk of developing allergic reactions. Testing is required before use. A small amount of kerosene is applied to the bend of the elbow and wait a few minutes. If redness and itching appear, you should not use kerosene.

Which kerosene is suitable

Several types are known:

• Aviation . It is used as a fuel, lubricant, and acts as a coolant.
• Technical . It is used in the chemical industry for the production of solvents, alcohol, propylene, cleaning agents for mechanisms, firing of glass and porcelain products. Available in two brands with different chemical compositions.
• Lighting . Fuel for kerosene lamps and metal cutting equipment. Widely used in the production of leather products to impregnate the material.

To combat lice, it is recommended to use lighting kerosene; in extreme cases, the use of technical kerosene is allowed. Aviation is too aggressive and expensive.

Other folk remedies for lice

Before you remove lice with kerosene, it would be a good idea to learn about other, less dangerous methods that can be used at home. Despite the fact that in most cases the effectiveness of folk remedies has not been scientifically proven, recipes are still passed down from generation to generation. The most popular of them are:

• • Apple vinegar. This remedy is mainly used to combat nits. The acid in vinegar breaks down the glue that lice use to attach nits to hair. Apple cider vinegar is mixed with water and applied to the hair, after which it is combed out with a fine comb. To enhance the effect, you can cover your head with a plastic bag for 10 minutes.
• • Mayonnaise. The essence of this method is to deprive the lice of the ability to breathe. To achieve the effect, mayonnaise must cover the entire scalp and hair along the entire length. You need to keep it for at least several hours, and preferably throughout the day. Then the hair is washed with shampoo and the lice are combed out with a comb.
• • Vinegar with mayonnaise and tea oil. When you mix regular oil with vinegar, it quickly decomposes, so there are folk recipes in which the oil is replaced with mayonnaise. The antiparasitic effect of this mixture is enhanced by tea oil. Mayonnaise is mixed with vinegar in the following ratio: two tablespoons of mayonnaise to one tablespoon of vinegar. Add a few drops of tea tree oil to the finished mixture.
• • Essential oils. Lavender, coconut, anise, jasmine, eucalyptus and tea tree oils have insecticidal activity. In addition, lice cannot tolerate their smell. To get rid of parasites, mix a few drops of essential oil with a tablespoon of olive oil. The resulting mixture is rubbed into the hair and scalp and left for 30-40 minutes. To increase the healing effect, you can add essential oil to shampoo every time you wash your hair.
• • Garlic. The head of garlic should be thoroughly chopped and then mixed with half a liter of hot water (but not boiling water). The composition must sit for at least 8 hours. After this time, the liquid is filtered and poured into a spray bottle. The infusion is sprayed onto the hair along the entire length, after which the head is covered with polyethylene. The mixture must be kept for at least 6-8 hours.

Safety precautions

The use of the above means requires care and compliance with all instructions.

Here are the main safety precautions when working with kerosene:

• Avoid electrical appliances, heat sources and open flames for the entire duration of the procedure.
• If the product gets into your eyes, nose or oropharyngeal mucosa, rinse the area with clean water. To avoid this, you need to put a rubber headband on your head.
• Follow the recommended holding time. Otherwise, scalp burns are possible.
• If you dye regularly, it is better to abandon the idea of ​​removing lice with kerosene, as hair loss and increased fragility are possible.
• Use gloves when working with the prepared mixture.

Before treatment, it is recommended to conduct a test in advance to identify the individual intolerance of the chemical by the body.

To do this, apply a few drops of the substance to the inside of the elbow for 30 minutes. If the skin in the designated area turns red, you should refrain from this method.

How to quickly get rid of lice and nits using Paranit?

Home remedies for lice are certainly attractive because the ingredients for the treatment are available in almost every home. However, they have a significant drawback - low efficiency, and in the case of kerosene, also high toxicity. And lice is such an unpleasant problem that you want to quickly forget about once and for all, so it is better to use a proven and effective remedy.

Anti-pediculosis products "Paranit" have a double effect, quickly and effectively getting rid of lice and nits. They are very easy to use as they are insecticide-free and formulated with mineral oil and dimethicone. “Paranit” products can be used to treat children from 1 year of age, pregnant and lactating women.

Many people who experience head lice are surprised to realize that most remedies do not work on them. The reason for this lies in the fact that parasites quickly develop resistance (resistance) to many insecticidal agents. “Paranitis” does not have a neurotoxic, but a physical effect on insects. It blocks the breathing of lice and nits, and also leads to their dehydration. As a result, the parasites die in just 10-20 minutes. The product can be freely used several times if necessary - lice do not become resistant to it.

By using Paranit, you can be sure that this remedy will quickly and safely rid you or your child of unpleasant “tenants”.

Effect on nits

It was experimentally determined that kerosene is not capable of killing all nits. The problem is that the nit has a fairly strong protective shell. In addition, her breathing is much slower than that of an adult.

Logically, in order to effectively poison nits with kerosene, you need to use it clean. In addition, it will take 4-5 hours to keep the flammable mixture on your head. Lice and nits, of course, will die. But the side effect will be a severe chemical burn, peeling of the burned skin and baldness. This is unlikely to suit anyone.

A special method will help you get rid of nits - step-by-step destruction. It involves the use of kerosene (in a diluted state or as an ingredient in “grandmother’s” recipes) and combing the hair with a fine comb. Thus, in just 2-3 sessions, both lice and their nits are removed. Every single one.

Lice prevention

There are no specific measures to prevent head lice. The following measures will help reduce the risk of infection:

• • maintaining a safe distance when communicating, teaching children this rule;
• • compliance with personal hygiene rules, regular hair washing;
• • examination of the scalp of a child attending kindergarten or school;
• • regular change and washing of underwear and bed linen;
• • girls with long hair are recommended to braid their hair or put it in a ponytail;
• • Applying 2-3 drops of tea tree oil behind the ears before going out into a public place helps repel insects.

If lice have been identified in one family member, it is advisable to treat the heads of all other household members to prevent re-infection.

Prevention of lice infestation in children's institutions involves regular examination of children by a medical professional. Inspection is required after summer holidays and long holidays. If lice are detected, the child is isolated and not allowed into the kindergarten or school until the parasites are completely eliminated.

Possible consequences

Even if the instructions are strictly followed, malaise, skin irritation, and other negative consequences may occur.

• Kerosene smells bad and emits toxic fumes that can cause poisoning of varying degrees of intensity. Dizziness, weakness, bitterness in the mouth, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of consciousness appear. At the first signs of poisoning, you should immediately stop the procedure, wash off the composition, and provide a flow of fresh air. You need to rinse your mouth with a soda solution and take activated charcoal. If the condition does not improve, you should contact a specialist.
• When an aggressive substance comes into contact with the skin, after half an hour it causes a burn with all the negative consequences - burning, itching, pain, a feeling of tightness. The composition cannot be maintained any longer. The affected area must be treated with a burn preparation. Panthenol is suitable.
• Kerosene causes an allergic reaction. Manifested by itching, burning, rash, redness. After rinsing off the product, the scalp should be treated with an antihistamine. Use Psilo-Balm, Fenistil-Gel.
• The aggressive substance severely damages the hair, making it dry, brittle, dull, and lifeless. To soften the effect of kerosene, olive oil is added to the composition. After treatment for head lice, lengthy hair restoration procedures are required.
• The unpleasant odor remains even after thorough rinsing, which is not very convenient if you need to be around people.

Before using a folk remedy, you need to evaluate the pros and cons. It may be better to abandon the idea and choose a more effective, less dangerous drug.

What is anti-pediculosis styling?

Upon admission to hospital treatment, a preliminary examination is carried out to detect lice. This happens at the sanitary inspection station in the clinic. Examinations for head lice in the department are carried out by medical staff. The nurse should use a magnifying glass or a special comb to examine the occipital and temporal parts of the head.

Lice detection

Each recorded case is recorded in a journal, and a corresponding note is made on the patient’s card. Depending on the patient’s condition, a treatment plan is developed and first aid is provided.

The patient signs a document in which he gives his consent to undergo treatment in the inpatient department. Depending on the financial condition of the clinic, the presence or absence of an insurance certificate from the patient, lice medications are taken either from the institution’s fund or purchased independently.

The procedure is performed in a well-ventilated, isolated room. The nurse explains to the patient all the nuances of the upcoming event and prepares the necessary equipment:

• scissors;
• container for hair disinfection;
• latex gloves;
• oilcloth drape;
• plastic cap;
• fine pitch comb;
• pediculicide;
• packages;
• cotton swabs;
• vinegar 9%;
• alcohol.

Anti-pediculosis treatment

The processing algorithm is as follows:

1. The patient is seated on the couch. A knitted tourniquet is tied around the scalp. An oilcloth cape is put on the shoulders.
2. The person carrying out the treatment puts on an additional robe, scarf, and rubber gloves.
3. Apply the antiparasitic solution evenly to the strands, avoiding contact with the face and mucous membranes. Rub the product into the scalp with light massage movements.
4. Put a cap or scarf on the patient.
5. Exposure lasts from 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the product used and the recommendations specified in the instructions.
6. Rinse your hair with warm water.
7. Rinse with vinegar solution.
8. Lay down light-colored paper and comb out dead insects and nits.
9. Check for any remaining lice.

Upon completion of the procedure, the patient’s underwear and clothes are packed into a bag. A robe and scarf are placed in the second bag. Packed items are sent to a disinfection chamber. The paper on which the lice were combed out is burned. Disinfection work is carried out in the premises. If the patient’s condition allows, he is subjected to hygienic procedures.

A repeat examination for pediculosis is carried out after 7 days. If necessary, the procedure should be repeated. If the patient is discharged earlier than the specified period, further examinations are carried out in the clinic. Beforehand, the patient is given recommendations for the prevention of head lice, which will help prevent the appearance of lice in the future.

The frequency of examination of the patient is determined by the type of head lice and the degree of infestation, but at least once every ten days.

The processing method is related to the type of lice:

1. For pilar lice, medical personnel dressed in a gown, scarf and gloves examine the patient's scalp. If detected, the employee puts on another set of protective clothing to avoid infection. The seat is covered with film or oilcloth, the patient is seated, covering his shoulders with a cape. Protect the face and neck with a cotton bandage to prevent the insecticide from getting on the skin and mucous membranes. The drug is applied for a quarter of an hour, covered with a film and then a cotton cap. At the end of the exposure period, wash your hair, rinsing with vinegar to destroy nits. Then they comb for a long time (at least a quarter of an hour), achieving complete removal of insects, over the basin, in a separate strand.
2. For lice pubis, or phthiriasis, the genital area is most often treated with the drug in an aerosol. To make sure there are no parasites, it is best to remove hair in the groin area, armpits, and chest. After the exposure time has expired (half an hour - an hour), the patient needs to wash with soap in the shower.
3. In case of body lice, it is necessary to treat not only the person himself, but also check his clothes and linen - underwear and bedding. The body louse does not live permanently on the body, moving onto it only to feed. It can be found in the seams and folds of items that must be thoroughly cooked, preferably boiled, and then ironed with a hot iron.

If the actions are carried out correctly, it is possible to destroy all insects, but for reliability, a second inspection is carried out after 10 days. The quarantine lasts a month, only if during this time there is no relapse, the infection is considered defeated.